Avoiding Constrictions
by Holly The Future Author
Summary: Constriction is the worst feeling, and Toph avoids it at any chance she can get. A Taang oneshot related to Halloween :


**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**Hey guys! I haven't wrote a Taang fic in awhile, so I thought it'd be cute to write a little oneshot that's Halloween-related. :) Enjoy!**

**BTW, Toph can see! Rated T for suggestive themes, slight vulgar language and romantic scenes.**

"It's all set," the girl concluded, pressing the end-button on her expensive smart phone touch screen. She set her iPhone 4 on the small end table to the right of her, not even looking at what kind of reaction her friend was having after her words.

"Just like that?" he asked, trying to make sure of himself. "Gyatso isn't gonna suspect a thing?"

"Of course not. He thinks that you're at Sokka's."

Aang lowered his head and tried to imagine how many things could go wrong with that lie planted in his adopted father's head. He widened his eyes as he realized that there were numerous situations that he could think of that would get him caught. He tightened a grip on the arm of the black leather couch on the other side of Toph.

"Quit being such a scaredy cat, Twinkletoes. You're in good hands with the master lier." Toph gestured to herself, raising her nose up in the air with a confident grin on her face. "You know how many times I gave the gaurds bull shit stories before and got away with it? Every time."

"I can't believe we're going through all of this trouble just to watch a bunch of scary movies. . ." Aang sighed. He knew that it was Devil's Night, but he wasn't so sure about their plan anymore. It would be so easy for Gyatso to catch him by simply calling Sokka's house to realize that he's not there. He was told more then once that he wasn't aloud to stay at Toph's mansion after dark. Of course, since he was a teenage boy, he never knew why the rule was ever made, because in his mind, him and Toph were friends. What could go wrong?

Toph stood up. She situated her hollister skinny jeans from sitting down with the phone to her ear for so long. Her long, cascading black hair was thrown up in a messy bun. She hated her hair in anything else except tied up for some reason ("I just don't like it down!"). Her parents hated the way she dressed. They were "much too tight" for her and showed too many curves for their unsightful eyes. She was never girly enough for her mom, who always tried to buy her nicer shirts and waist-high skirts for any kind of occasion possible, but she still refused to wear any of them. The shirt that she was wearing was an old t-shirt that she found laying on her bedroom floor this morning. It was a green volleyball shirt from her and Aang's school. Aang thought he remembered one of her friends wearing that shirt a couple of weeks ago, and somehow she ended up having it?

Toph was always a rebellious one. Almost everyone at their school considered her as the spoiled rich girl who got away with anything she wants. But all of her closest friends know that she definately doesn't act like she has a lot of money. It's really quite the opposite. Toph had these "friends" of her's that always gave her the supplies that she needed in order for her to deal with her lifestyle that she's trapped in.

Aang still didn't care. No matter what kinds of bad choices that she makes, he's still going to be her friend. He made that promise to himself last school year after he found out that Toph sneaks out of school during lunch to smoke cigarrettes with a bunch of her "friends". They've never spoken about her smoking habits before. She acts like none of it ever happens when he's around. He knows that it's a sign that she's trying to show respect to him, but in the back of his mind, he finds it offensive somehow.

She walked across her own personal "game room" as she called it. It was really an extra area partly seperated from her bedroom that has her large flat-screen and practically anything else that is able to attach to it. She was avoiding to step on any Wii controllers, videogames, DVDs, nail polish bottles, stale bags of chips, magazines, dirty clothes or pillows.

"Have you seen The Haunting of Connecticut?"

Toph picked up the scary movie case off her unkempt floor and flashed it at his face without bothering to turn around and look at him herself.

"No. Have you?"

There was no response. He took it more as a "I don't care" than a "yes".

Halfway through the movie, Aang was so into the movie that his tunnel vision was focused on the high-definition picture on the screen in front of him. He never noticed what was going on around him. Like the fact that Toph fell asleep on the other side of the couch and was innocently sliding her head to rest on his shoulder. Even if Toph was conscious, she would think nothing of it if she did cuddle up next to her best friend. . . at least, that's what she always told herself.

Ever since they met in seventh grade, she has always found him interesting. For the life that he's been raised in, he is a very well-rounded person. It was a characteristic that she has always envied of him. Aang has never gotten a grade lower then a B- on his report cards, never gotten more then four tardies in the whole school year, and he's never had the tragedy of experiencing the detention room. He takes care of himself well. Toph has always admired Aang's stableness.

Her own life has always been havoc without Aang being there. She barely ever sees her parents when he is by her side. They would never look at her the wrong way when there was other people around. They were all about their reputation as the royal Bei Fongs. When they hangout, Toph always feels at peace. The moment he leaves the mansion, she is trapped again; boarded by the brick walls surrounding the property, made strictly to keep their suffocating daughter from escaping the grounds. Constriction is the worst feeling, and Toph avoids it at any chance she can get.

The credits began to roll as the movie came to a close. Aang's eyes were reddened and scratched with veins surrounding his pupils. His jaw hung, half-opening his mouth, that dried the inside of it. It was one of the best scary movies that he's ever watched. He was happy that he watched it, but he didn't know how he was going to get through all of the other movies tonight without falling asleep. He thought to himself that Toph was probably as awake as she would have been twelve hours ago and ready to pop in the next movie.

Quite frankly, he was wrong. Toph was actually, already sleeping - and much to his startlement that he never noticed, she was also using his right shoulder as a pillow. The sight of it was definately freaking him out a lot more then any parts of the movie he just watched. He didn't know wether to wake her up to tell her to put in another movie or not. He sat there for a few moments. It seemed to him like he was sitting there for eternities.

"_Pssst!_ Twinkletoes!"

Toph didn't want to startle him. She could tell that he was having a nightmare. She gently nudged his side again.

Aang's eyes flew open, flailing his arms and legs around as though he felt like he was falling and about to hit the ground at full speed.

"Aang! It's okay, it was just a dream!"

Toph wasn't sitting next to him on the couch anymore. She was standing in front of the couch where he was laying down, his head resting on the arm of the couch. The T.V. was turned off. All he could see was Toph's outline.

Aang slapped his hand to his forehead. "What time is it?" he moaned.

"Four o'clock," she replied quietly.

He merely closed his eyes. He shouldn't be this surprised that this happened. Something that the two have in common is that they love to sleep once it's dark. . . obviously.

"I'm not gonna make you go home at this time. You can sleep on the couch if you want, or you can take any of the guest rooms," she offered courtly. The more Aang's eyes focused, the more he tried to figure out what Toph was wearing. His half-conscious mind created a picture in his imagination that he would never share with anybody. It was exciting to think that he was with a beautiful girl like Toph in her bedroom so late at night, but it was also frightening to consider the possibilities of being found.

"I guess I'll just sleep here," he said. He scanned Toph's body over and over. It was partly because he was so tired, but the other part was mainly because he knew that she had something on that was attracting him. He had to ask the burning question. "What are you wearing?"

Toph jumped at the question. "Oh. . . I'm just trying on my costume for tomorrow to see if it fits."

"What are you supposed to be?"

"Uh," she hezitated. "It's kinda stupid. I only got it so I can go out to that party that Mai and Zuko are having. . ."

Aang didn't care why she got the costume. He wanted to know what she was and how good it looked on her. He couldn't believe that she was being self-conscious about it. They're best friends, and usually Toph never cared to tell Aang about anything.

"So what are you?" he urged.

Toph twiddled her thumbs. ". . . A cat."

He was taken aback. Toph didn't look like any sort of cat at all. "I can't even tell. I guess 'cause it's so dark in here."

"Well, yeah, but I also don't have my mask on 'n stuff. I just put on the outfit."

Aang sighed. "So why did you decided to try on half of your Halloween costume on at four o'clock in the morning?" None of her actions were making sense to him.

"'Cause I love how you haven't looked at my face once since I woke you up," she replied sarcastically. He knows that Toph isn't stupid, but now he feels stupid for not realizing that he knew exactly what he was doing the whole time. After her comment, he immediately looked away from her and wandered his eyes to the ceiling like it never happened.

"Why are you wearing that to a party, anyway? Are you planning on getting something while you're there?" Aang's jealousy was shining through. He couldn't even imagine how many guys will be all over her tomorrow if she wears it there.

"That's none of your business, Twinkletoes," she brushed off angrily. She wasn't even going to try and defend herself.

"How is that none of my business? We've been best friends for years and you feel like you have to hide half of your life from me." Toph sat at the end of the couch in front of his feet. He expected Toph to make an argument out of his words. Instead, he began feeling guilty for putting a frown on her face.

"Half of my life is worthless, anyway. . ."

This was the first time that the two of them have ever discussed her new lifestyle. Aang has been wanting to bring it up ever since he found out of it, but he didn't mean to do it like this in the middle of Devil's Night.

"You know what? I think you should just get out of that costume for now and go back to sleep. We'll talk about everything in the morning," he pronounced to her.

"I don't want morning to come," she half-sobbed. She threw herself on top of Aang and buried her face in his shoulder. Aang felt his excitement build up. He wrapped his arms around her. Skin-tight leather was basically all that he felt around her petite body. It was like she was barely wearing clothes at all because he could feel every part of her body. He restrained himself from doing so and used his mind as a substitute.

"Why? It's Halloween tomorrow, and you're actually gonna be doing something!"

"Because you won't be with me."

Aang's only response was to hug her closer. He didn't want tomorrow to come either for the same reason. His hands rubbed her back, and -

"Wait a minute. Is your hair down?"

Toph chuckled and lifted her head. "Yeah, you didn't notice, huh? Too busy staring at the costume instead?"

Aang moved the soft ebony hair out of her face and wiped the tear about to fall under her starry green eyes.

"You know I think you're beautiful."

**Happy Halloween, everybody! Review(:**


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